Thousands of road bikes recalled due to safety hazard

A substantial number of high-performance road bicycles are being recalled due to a safety issue that could lead cyclists to fall while they're riding.

Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall of approximately 12,200 bicycles made by Specialized. The specific models at issue have 2012 and 2013 model years and are built under the name of Tarmac SL4, Crux and Secteur.

CPSC says that while there may be more injuries its unaware of, at least two incidents have been reported to safety authorities wherein a cyclist fell from their bicycle, sustaining injuries that were serious enough to require stitches. It's believed that the steerer tube located in the front fork of the bike was compromised during the manufacturing process and can break without warning.

Both Specialized and CPSC recommend that anyone who has one of these bicycles should stop riding immediately and return it to the outlet from which they made the purchase. Specialized bicycles are generally only sold by authorized dealers. A free inspection and repair will be offered if necessary.

Though recalls and safety hazards such as these are generally addressed by the manufacturer, accidents and incidents wherein a bicycle is stolen are issues that have to be addressed through insurance. When reviewing insurance quotes, policyholders may want to ask their provider about whether they cover bicycles. As a general rule and contrary to popular belief, bicycles are covered under home insurance policies rather than auto insurance.

Bicycle theft is on par with car theft when it comes to its prevalence. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, stolen bicycles and their parts is a $350 million per year industry.